The government has deferred a long pending demand of the Armed Forces to create three new commands to deal with cyber, space and special forces while asking them to first create capabilities and structures for such operations before going in for expansion.

To deal with these issues, the defence ministry has created three special cells under Major General-rank officers under the tri-services Integrated Defence Staff.

'The government has deferred the demand for creation of commands for Cyber, Special Forces and Space under senior Lt General- rank officers and asked the forces to first create capabilities for such commands,' sources told Mail Today.

The decision to defer the creation of new commands was taken soon after PM Narendra Modi told the senior military commanders that while global powers were reducing their manpower

The decision to defer the creation of new commands was taken soon after PM Narendra Modi told the senior military commanders that while global powers were reducing their manpower, Indian forces were continuously demanding expansion of their size.

'Modernisation and expansion of forces at the same time is a difficult and unnecessary goal.'

'We need forces that are agile, mobile and driven by technology, not just human valour. We must re-examine our assumptions that keep massive funds locked up in inventories,' Modi had said in his last address to the combined commanders.

The forces also wanted an army commander equivalent post to be created for the upcoming National Defence University which has been put on hold by the government.

The Armed Forces had initiated the demand for creation of three new commands during the UPA government where the three services had decided to take one each command for themselves creating three army commander-equivalent positions.

The forces also wanted an army commander equivalent post to be created for the upcoming National Defence University which has been put on hold by the government.

The new cells for the space, cyber and special forces are already working jointly with each other involving elements of the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy.

The cells have carried out some very important war games also related to their domains involving space and cyber assets and their reports were shared with the Prime Minister's Office, the sources revealed.

The chiefs of staff committee, which comprises the Army, Navy and IAF chiefs, had recommended the urgent need for the three new unified commands in 2012.

The three services already have their own space and cyber cells as well as different Special Forces in the form of Para-SF battalions (Army), marine commandos (Navy) and Guards (IAF).

The country has only two operational tri-services commands including the strategically- located Andaman and Nicobar command in Port Blair which will now probably have an officer from the Navy as its head permanently.

The other tri-services organisation is the Strategic Forces Command which looks after the nuclear arsenal including the Agni series missiles for the Nuclear Command Authority - the Prime Minister headed body.